Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-08-11
HypocritlcaIC Cant.

Ine seventh plank IN the OniO lie
publican platform reads as follows:
While we condemn the false pre-.
lenses Of President Cleveland g admins.
tration Of the civil service law we ad.
vocate the maintenance and proper en-
forcement of said law and demand such
additional legislation as will remove
appointments from partisan Influence.
In one breath the Republicans of Ohio
condemn President Cleveland and the
action Of their own party administra-
ton in Ohio. The civil service law
was never administered by one of his
predecessors with 1.-THE of the honesty
with which it has been under President
Cleveland, The talk about demanding
the enforcement of the law by Republi-
cans Is mere hypocritical can't. The
law was passed under Republican
administration, but its tenets were
never enforced. If President Cleve-
land had enforced it after the manner
of Hayes, Garfield and Arthur there
would not to-day be Republican mold
ing Office Under the present adminls-
tration. If John Sherman and MS kihd
who made the Ohio platform, had q
narticle of honesty in the adoption OF
snch n plank as the above they would
have exhibited it in action while their
party was in power. Mr.. sherman
held the position of Secretary OF the
Treasury in the Hayes administration
and In the management OF that office
he coul d have shown some honesty OF
purpose in the enforcement of the civil
service law, but he appointed no Demo
crat to a position under him, and every
man in his department was Republi-
can, as were the no, 700 office holders
under the Republican regime. Did
any one ever hear of John Sherman,
J. b. Foraker or any other prominent
Republican recommending Democrat
to office under Republican admins
tration? Not one. 1t comes with
poor grace for the Republicans of Ohio
to demand the rigid enforcement OF the
civil service law when in fact two of
their own number sat in the executive
chair of the nation-Garfield and
Hayes-and neither of them appointed
Democrats to office. Now that the
Democrats are in and the Republicans
are out, whilst large number of Re-
publicans are still holding Office, the
Ohio Republicans with a great pre-
tense of virtue demand that a law be
enforced which is steadily enforced by
a true and firm hand.
And Governor Foraker as an apostle
of civil service reform! When he
came into Office he found the State
Offices filled by good, honest and com
petent Democrats. He at once turned
every one of them out to make room
for his Republican henchmen. Fora
ker not only turned the Democrats out
of office, but he turned every charitable
institution in the State into q Republl-
can political machine. A sweet civil
service reformer is Governor Foraker!
A party that lives upon its former
greatness, prejudice and passion and
the spoils of office, would Ofcourse find
fault when its leeches and henchmen
are turned out that honest and COM
petent men may fill their places. The
Plain Dealer is in favor of civil
service law that means what it says
and says what it means. 1t believes in
a law that will, when faithfully ad-
permit the party in power
to appoint to office the best representa-
tive men in its ranks who are in ac-
cord with its policy. When President
Cleveland assumed the duties of his
office he found the civil service enact
ment i'm existence but not enforced
The Republicans ran the Government
simply for the Republican party, but
President Cleveland has conducted it
for the whole country, without regard
to party. He found no Democrats in
office and he has filled over one-half of
the offices with good Democrats, and
rs time rolls on we are in hopes of see
ing more of them filled by the same
kind of Democrats. .-R0iR Dealer.